Horse-collar



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. FISHER.

HORSE COLLAR.

No. 320,863. Patented June 23,1885;

WITNESSES M m JV v MENTOR:

W I BY m ATTORNEYS.

N. PEI'Em Photo-Lithographer. Wnhingfom D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. FISHER.

(No Model.)

V HORSE COLLAR. No; 3 201- WITNESSES W ATTORNEYS;

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

EBENEZER FISHER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEEL HORSE COLLAR COMPANY, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

HORSE-COLLAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,863, dated June 23, 1885.

Application filed May 7, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EBENEZER FrsHER, a subject of the Queen of England, and aresident of the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, have invented a new and usefullmprovcinent in Horse-Collars, of which the following is a description.

Letters Patent of the United States Nos. 216,168, 224,671, and 230,261 have been granted to me, sole, and to myself and J. Watson j ointly, for certain improvements in metallic horsecollars. Further improvements have been since made, by which the practical merits and value of the collar have been greatly enhanced. These later changes in the construction and combination of parts form the subject of the present case.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a steel collar embodying my invention. Fig. 2is a vertical section of the lower portion of a collar. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the inner side of one of the adjust-able top pieces. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on m m, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 isavertical section on y 3 Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a top view of the upper portion of the collar, showing the hinged parts extended horizontally. Fig. 7 is a vertical central section of the top portion of the collar. Fig. 8 is a side view of the same.

I will now describe the invention in detail. In this instance I make the front flange, a, of each section A of the steel collar of about the same width as the rear one, I), so that a crosssection of either part A presents substan tially a U form, Fig. 4. Besides this change I dispense with the rigid brace previously employed. The trace-hooks a are bolted to the face of front flanges, a, near the edge of the latter. By this construction a considerable degree of spring or elasticity is obtained, which relieves the shock incident to sudden and heavy draft.

In collars intended for the hardest and heaviest work I support the flange a by means of tapered plate-springs (1, Figs. 4 and 5. These are of U form, one being placed transversely in the cavity of each section A, and attached by the same bolts that hold the trace-hooks a,

(No model.)

so that its free ends bear 011 the rear or shoulder flange b.

Another improvement I have made consists in the form, arrangement, and attachment of the adjustable top piece, B, which connects the sections A A with the coupling or saddle C, secured to the neck-pad D. This piece B slides in grooves formed by the overlapping edges of the flanges A at that point.

Instead of applying a fastening on the inner side of the collar, where it would necessarily prevent due closeness of fit and adjustment of the parts connected by it, as well as be otherwise objectionable, I secure said parts A and B by means of a screw-bolt, e, that passes through the flange a, as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. The upper end, f, of piece B is lapped around one of the cross bolts of coupling C, and bent downward and riveted to the body of said piece.

It has been found that the collar sits easier on the animal s neck if the neck-pad is arranged at a considerable angle to the sections A, constituting the collar proper. To secure this result, the doubled or overlapping portion f of piece B (that forms the eye) is cut away on its rearedge and extended on the front side, (see Figs. 3, 6, 8,) so that its lengthwise middle is not coincident with the body or piece B. The effect of this construction is to throw the coupling O as far forward as practicable 011 the neck-pad D, whereby the latter is, so to speak, tilted forward in to an oblique position, so that in use its rear angle cannot press sharply, as heretofore, into the depression usually existing at the junction of the neck and shoulders.

In collars of this class the rings 9 are liable to make an objectionable clatter or rattle by rapid successive contacts with the adjacent edges of the sections A; and to prevent it I have adopted the simple and inexpensive but effectual expedient of interposing a platespring, 6, Figs. 7 and 8, under the ring to hold it against the keeper k.

To attach the spring in place I utilize the same rivet, Z, that secures the lapping portion f of piece B to the body-thereof.

Still another of my improvements consists in forming the check-rein hook or and backstrap hook an, Figs. 6 and 8, in one piece, and in attaching them and the coupling B to the neck-pad by one and the same n eansto wit, a screw-bolt, o.

I am aware that it is not new to' construct metal horse-collars of two parts, each having a U shape in cross-seetion; but as these were made of cast-iron they have no elasticity, be sides being very heavy, and were hence practically useless. Nor do I claim here a steel horse-collar whose side portions are approximately U-shaped in cross-section, such being shown in the Patent No. 216,168, granted to myself June 3, 1879; but in that invention elasticity of the front flange was neither con templated nor attained, for it is very narrow, being less than half the width of the rear flange, and is also supported by a rigid brace.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The steel horse-collar composed of two sections, each forged from a sheet of steel, to form thin side flanges, one overlying the other, and separated by an uninterrupted groove, whereby a greater degree of spring action is provided for the draft attachments, which are secured to the upper or front flange, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the lateral elastic flange a of the steel-collar section A, of the draft-hook attached to the same near its edge, as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a steel-collar sec tion, A, having substantially a U shape in cross-section, of a supplemental spring which is interposed between the two flanges a and b of said section, as specified.

4. The combination, with a steel-collar section, A, having substantially a U shape in crosssection, of a curved plate-spring which is bolted to the front flange, a, and bears with its free end upon the rear flange, b, as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the adjustable top piece, B, and flanged steel-collar section A, arranged to slide one in the other, of the fastening-bolt passing through the outer flange, a, of said section, and through the contiguous edge of said top piece, as shown and described.

6. The combination, with the collar-coupling and neck-pad, of the piece B, having its eye or top portion projected laterally forward, so that the bearing on the pad is located nearer its front than its rear side, as shown and described.

E. FISHER. [L. s.]

Vitnesses:

L. P. SIMPsoN, THOMAS MCBRIDE. 

